I applaud for its latest edition, The Marketer Issue. Each page is dog-eared and marked up; what amazing blog fodder. This article, , is rich with tips on how marketing needs to re-invent for future success.
I’m taking the ideas herein, adjusting them with my spin and sharing them as tips for public relations peeps. After all, we in the PR profession must re-invent too if there’s a chance in hell for success down the road.
People who know me know I’ve been in the field of public relations since 1984. I entered the profession as a pure PR’ist and stayed as such for probably 10 years. That’s about when email entered the scene and slowly and surely all things changed. Pure/traditional public relations was turned on its head (for out of the box thinkers like me), and I slowly began to migrate towards marketing.
We all know what’s happened to the profession since the onset of social media and social marketing – that boundary between marketing and public relations has blurred to near non-existence. Step up, PR, and re-invent yourself for future success; your investment portfolio will thank you.
To push you in the right direction, here are 11 ways to re-invent, and I credit Ad Age’s Maureen Morrison for writing the article that provided this inspiration:
>> Be a multi-disciplinarian. Used to be back in my Chicago agency days that people asked, “Are you a strategist or tactician? Do you specialize or are you a generalist?” I was never a specialist; I wanted to know everything. That’s why I love being an agency brat – we get to service a breadth of clients from all walks of life and industries. This is amazing training.
>> Learn Data & Analytics. The old excuse has always been to leave the numbers to the marketers. No more, PR! We must interpret data as well as analytics to create better campaigns and programs. Do not leave the back-end analytics to marketing; without this knowledge you’ll miss the opportunity to make key decisions. Your leadership ability will also suffer.
>> Master social media apps and tools. No brainer, right? (Aside: I wrote that once in a corporate article and was never hired again, so now I get to use it and no one will fire me.) Just when you think you’re getting tired of keeping up with the Jones’s, push the gas and plow back in. Social media is NOT going away, and developers will keep tossing new apps/tools at us every day. You have to walk the talk.
>> Be technology centric and driven. The new generation of tablets, digital readers, smart phones, personal health monitoring devices, and other new gadgets are being developed at an amazing pace. Be well read and informed about these; in fact, incorporate budget to buy the devices and play (if you get that opportunity).
>> Understand ROI. No doubt about it, PR has to contribute to ROI, and we’ve always skirted that issue. Setting up metrics (I don’t care if that word is over-used; it’s the word to use) and measuring how our programs affect the bottom line is a critical success quotient for practitioners’ value.
>> Be nimble, agile and a quick study. Teams are strapped for time; training budgets are out the window, and it’s up to you to be agile enough to learn on your own. Being a quick thinker with wit, problem/solution solving, and flexibility to roll with the punches are what will earn you success.
>> Less tactical; more strategic. I’m unsure if strategy can be taught or if it’s innate. I’d like to think that with maturity as a professional, a strategist orientation unfolds. As a youngster in PR, you will be assigned tactics to execute; ensure you align yourself with a senior mentor who can help you with ideation. Observe how these peoples’ minds deliver and then emulate that example.
>> Search marketing. This arena is no longer strictly under the guise of digital marketers or internet marketing specialists. Trust me when I tell you, “PR people must understand the basics of search marketing and then some.” Whether you master this is not critical; however, understanding and contributing about this topic is important. The impact search marketing has on a PR program influences the entire integrated campaign.
>> Keep “traditional.” I am absolutely against using the word “traditional” to differentiate what others deliver as PR practitioners over what I deliver in a blended offering (PR and social with marketing). While I firmly advise losing “traditional” to describe PR services, don’t lose sight of how our profession evolved and became viable. When I see youth in the profession suggesting the , I cringe. In no way will the press release die; it (along with other PR tactics) will continue to evolve.
>> Focus on the audience. It’s the role of PR to keenly focus on all stakeholders and craft and deliver messages targeting each. Consumers’ outside-in communication orientation with business requires a higher level of creativity and strategy for PR programs. We have to continually understand from where and how consumers comingle with business. This will drive strategy as we execute integrated marketing programs.
>> Be financially savvy. Yet another numbers request and this one is serious. Ensure you are savvy about interpreting profit-and-loss statements. Understand issued by your company so you can influence business objectives with communications strategy.
It’s a tall order, friends, and no one is suggesting you learn it overnight. Tackle each one as soon as you can and then master the areas you like more. Staying fit as a PR person requires constant learning. Those who adopt a approach like this, or similar, will enjoy a storied career in this exciting profession.
(I think I need to print bumper stickers – “Proud To Be In PR.”) What can you add to this starter package?
LOL, I’ll take one of those bumper stickers! PR Pro and Proud Of IT! 😉
Your list is spot on! I’m glad you’ve included the analytics and the ROI – those are huge drivers for me, as you know. And thank you, thank you, thank you for saying that the press release is not dead. It’s far from it. You’re ACEs at that one, but many of us could remember to go for the punchy headline, strong lead paragraph and the art of the story! Thanks, Jayme! Great list.
Score 1 for hitting here first, and thank you! I’m particularly fond of this post…maybe b/c I took time to write it, and I know it holds weight? Heh. Thanks for lovely comments, too, Friend. Make it a RockHot day!
You were fired/not hired for suggesting the use of social media apps and tools? That seems so unreal. And a quick look-up shows that Twitter is five years old; meaning that it’s still relatively new but like the spirit of this article implies, in need of a change-up.
Do you change/reinvent your methods on a certain timetable to stay ahead of the “curve?” Or is it more due to observable signals, perchance when some methods stop working as effectively as they used to?
Part of the PROUD TO BE A PR package might be a not-so-secret decoder ring.
Hi, Jason! I better fix that and clarify…”no brainer”…I wrote that in a corp. article and was fired, I tell you. So, I get to use it in my own posts as often as I wish and no one can fire me, except you, of course!
Not sure of your background? (Is it agency?) It was smeared on our forehead, read, read, read from day one. Doing that now, I can pretty much “forecast” the trends or at least recognize something new is brewing. That, then, points my learnings and interest towards that direction. Upon reading everything I can (and implementing myself so I can make mistakes and learn), I begin to be able to walk the talk.
As for program execution, I continually experiment with what works best. Social marketing has provided PR with more ability to deliver on results. We both know, however, that 39 RTs don’t bring in actual revenue; can we put a price tag on influencing the brand?
Decoder ring? LIKE!! Thanks for your input here!
These are all good tips. I know I need to spend more time with the analytics and understanding ROI.
It’s also my area for a deeper dive, Erin. The numbers get me generally, so I work harder to embrace what I don’t know and become a better master of these newer areas. Thanks for stopping in to comment!
It’s also my area for a deeper dive, Erin. The numbers get me generally, so I work harder to embrace what I don’t know and become a better master of these newer areas. Thanks for stopping in to comment!
It’s also my area for a deeper dive, Erin. The numbers get me generally, so I work harder to embrace what I don’t know and become a better master of these newer areas. Thanks for stopping in to comment!
yes yes YES! I’ll have what whatever she’s having!
Good, concise info here..As old school advtg gal and PR pro when social media starting emerging, I agree with your thoughts that PR has to have all the elements of marketing, as well!
Totally agree, Lily! I’m putting together an RFP with a colleague, and the client is asking for pure PR; however, we’re going to re-educate them and deliver more sales and brand marketing in the proposal…AFTER we determine how that will fly with the CMO!! Thanks for popping over!
Bad, off target, crappy self-promoting pitches are – or should be – dead; releases that share legitimate news that helps a reporter with a story, that’s not going anywhere. Which is yes why we keep the right traditions around, especially the ‘relationship’ part of PR. Which brings me to the audience focus, and the understanding that the audiences are different so you’ll need different skills, approaches for going after internal audiences like employees vs. campaigns designed to influence external stakeholders like industry analysts.
Everything else is smart advice, which I think has two cores 1) digital and 2) business. Niche has its place and you don’t want to fall into the trap of ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ but right now and for the future, I think we’ll all need as many clubs in our bag as we can learn. I remember back in the day when ‘knowing Word, Excel, Powerpoint’ was an extra skill; now understanding keywords, SEO, basic HTML, social networking, Google analytics.. so many things, that’s the minimum and it needs to go with the business – accounting, finance, econ – skills, as ROI and accountability ain’t going nowhere.
One skill I’d add to any list: vision. Seeing the past, looking to the future, understanding the now. Being able to see many things at once, without being blinded or overwhelmed, vision to make connections. I think because we in PR spend so much time reading, following, engaging, LISTENING, we’ve got the vision to see the big picture, without missing little details. FWIW.
You’re so right. Love the vision aspect of what you said. I always weave that in to the marketing plan, and this is the value add I bring. I find marketers more focused on revenue, leads and assisting sales with tools; whereas, I can tap my knowledge from perusal of industry issues that lend to program trends.
We didn’t get to this point without continually absorbing “stuff” and that means no one should take a back seat to social media b/c it’s the best way to absorb (too much) information quickly.
Thanks for the gift of your comment today/yesterday, Queen, D!
You’re perfect for a winning team.
I’m a little late to the party here, but I suppose I’ll cap off the conversation with one last comment. The variety that comes from working across disciplines is perhaps partly what draws us to what we do. There’s indeed value in being a multi-disciplinarian. But from a brand perspective, there’s also great value in sharpening your focus.
You’re the queen when it comes to being a specialist, too. You’ve done a fab job of it in your career, Ms. Terracom! Thanks for contributing here!
You’re adjusting them with your “spin”?!? JAYME SOULATI! Spin Sucks!
As for the rest of it, yes, yes, and yes! I think search, content marketing, and having a marketing/business mind are becoming even more important. Great tips!
Wait, did I say that? I’m sure I did not, even though it’s obviously in writing. Preaching to your choir, I know…thanks, Friend!
Good post. I would say this is the evolution of PR not the re-inventing of it. Our end goal has always been the same, we’re just using different tools.
Evolution or re-invention? I think those of us in the know would say evolution; others lagging might say re-invention? At the end of the day, the profession (and others,too) is constantly in flux. Anyone who wants to play for the future has got to get on board. Thanks, Kevin!
I’m sure there will be many PR ostriches out there sticking there heads in the sand at this kind of list. But you’re spot on Jayme. Spot on :=)
I actually think that the list can be applied to journalists too. So many old school journalist friends are struggling to come to terms with the decline of their profession and having to learn new skills. I’ll know where to send them now :=)
For those journos who didn’t already migrate to the dark side in the ’90s, have fun with re-invention!! Heh. Every single profession has gone or is going through change. Those who stomp their feet and resist are certain to be in trouble. Thanks, Jon!!